Taking cues from their neighbours, the Tanzanian Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) has drastically increased the prices of petroleum products by up to Ksh27 per litre.
EWURA Director General James Mwainyekule, in a statement on Thursday, August 3, explained that the rise in fuel prices was occasioned by Dollar shortage as well as inadequate petroleum products which led to lower importation capacity.
“Changes in prices of petroleum products in August 2023 are mainly due to challenges in the availability of US Dollars and changes in the fuel levy, prices of petroleum products in the world market, and premiums in the importation of petroleum products,” EWURA stated.
Petrol will now retail at Tsh3,199 (Ksh.186.46) a litre from Tsh2,736 (Ksh.159).
Diesel also increased to Tsh2,935 (Ksh.171) a litre from Tsh2,544 (Ksh.148) while Kerosene showed a slight decrease from Tsh2,829 (Ksh164.89) to Tsh2,668 (Ksh.155) a litre.
As a result, Tanzanian media outlets reported that an increase in fuel prices by 17 per cent had led to serious backlash and uproar against the government which had earlier assured its citizens of the sustainability of the Dollar.
The announcement by President Samia Suluhu-led government on Thursday, August 3, came barely three days after a host of Tanzanian officials visited Kenya's Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to benchmark the fuel-marking programme.
While confirming the visit by Tanzanian authorities, EPRA bosses explained that their counterparts learned a lot of things that will help them in developing a robust energy sector.
"We are delighted to share with the Tanzanian Bureau of Standard (TBS). EPRA is currently hosting a delegation from the Tanzanian Bureau of Standard (TBS) at our headquarters in Upperhill, Nairobi," EPRA stated.
Kenya, however, still holds the record of highest fuel prices in the region with a litre of Petrol retailing at Ksh194.68 while Diesel costs Ksh179.67 per litre.
Kerosene, on the other hand, retails at Ksh169.48 from the previous Ksh173.44 per litre.
"Taking into account the weighted average cost of imported refined petroleum products, the changes in the maximum allowed petroleum prices in Nairobi are as follows: Super Petrol and Kerosene decrease by Ksh0.85 and Ksh3.96 per litre respectively while Diesel remains unchanged," read the statement in part.
"EPRA has calculated the maximum retail prices of petroleum products which will be in force from July 15, 2023, to August 14, 2023, in accordance with Section 101(y) of the Petroleum Act 2019 and Legal Notice No.192 of 2022," the statement by EPRA read in parts.
